The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-11-11
ON THE UPPER CONGO.
Human Sacrifice Among the Ba -yan-
ri, BeheadIng a Victim.

Zls behfading a Sictim.
The revolting custom OF human
sacrifice" says Mr.. G'aVe, is carried
on TO a horrible extent on the Upper
Congo river, prinei 5ally by the Bs-yan-
Il tribes. All saves, both men and
women. are liable 10 this barbarity.
These people are under the impression
that a man dying in this world is SIM
ply transferred TO another, there 10 ear
~ or exactly the same existence, re-
quiring the same food and attendance.
Upon the death of a chief his relatives
or friends kill about half his slaves, me q
3nd women, to go with him, they say.
TO attend TO his wants, and to serve for
his protection it being very mira dig,
for chief to make his entry into the
next world without a certain following
The women are strangled a rope is put
round the neck OF the victim, a man
climbs a tree and ties the rope to a
branch, the woman being held up, so
that when they let her go she is swung
in midai5 in her dying struggles these
cause great merriment among the spec
tators. not thinking that at least
great many of them will-share the same
tate sooner or later. The men are te-
headed.
The victim is seated on a log of
wood two stakes are then driven into
tue ground, one on each side of him,
and as bigh as his boulder; bands are
then put round his body, lnclosing it in
these stakes, then Two stakes are driven
by his knees and two by his ankles, one
at each side, and he is securely bound TO
them with rope. \ ring of cane IS then
put round his neck, with several leaders
OF string, which are drawn up and tied
IN knot above his lead ; pliable pole.
about eighteen feet long, is then driven
into the ground nine feet from the mans
seat. It is bent down just above the
mans head small piece of rope is fas-
tened TO the top of the pole. and the
other end OF the rope is made fast TO the
knot above the mans head. This being
Low at very strong tension the whole
body is quite immova5le, and :he neck
is stretched TO its full extent. The ex-
ecutioner then makes his appearance.
lie makes chalk mark on the poor fell
lows neck then with one blow sewers
the head from the trunk. The specta-
tors at this seem to lose all control over
themselves. They tear down The head
from the pole, and there is ghastIy
scIimmage for Il, often resulting in q
free fight.''
The Ba-yanzi, however, with all these
cruel customs, are superior to some OF
the other nations of the Congo. They
make pottery, neat wooden furniture
and other articles, often decorated with
taste, build neat houses. especially at
the town Bolobo. and are skilled in
working iron and other metals. fabrica-
ting knives and hatchets, which they
sell TO the Ba-teke and the Wa-buma.
They are fond Of music, and the tones
of their five stringed Tyre :and of the
marimba, a sort of dulcimer, with thin
slips Of metal arranged as keys OH a
sounding board, are sweetly soDorous.
They cultivate maize, sweet potato, su
gar, tobacco, manicO, banana, the oil
palm and ground nuts, for trade, and
semi-trOplcal fruits, such as the orange
and pineapple, Introduced from the Por-
tuguese OF the west coast. They have
no horses or oxen and few sheep. bu,
keep goats, pigs and poultry they
catch fish in ABUNDANCE, and preserve
them by smoking.
The Ba-yanzi are not of lhe negro
race. according to ethnologists, but be-
long purely to the "Bantu'' family.
which includes the people around Lake
TaGgauyika and Lake Nyassa. IN East.
ern Africa and on the Z4mbesi. Their
skins are of a chocolate brown color ::
thsy are well shaped and have abun-
dance of hair, brt usually pluck out the
beard, mustache, whiskers, eyebrows
and eyelashes. They scar themselves
on the breast, belly and temples with in.
cised marks denoting the tribe dye the
hair and nails with a red pigment and
stiffen their plated tresses or Digtails
with clay and grease often stick par
rot feathers and various other orna-
ments about their persons. and wear ear
rings, noserings, necklaces or bracelets,
while one or two pieces of glass cloth
suffice for the dress of the fashionable
lady of Iukunou ,;